


Mystery of Love

by CocoPotterEverdeenWinchesterBaggins



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boyfriends, Bullying, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Second Chances, Triwizard Tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoPotterEverdeenWinchesterBaggins/pseuds/CocoPotterEverdeenWinchesterBaggins
Summary: It's the second task at the Triwizard Tournament and Harry Potter has no idea what he's doing.Imagine his surprise when instead of Cho Chang or Hermione or Ron or even his stupid cousin he has to save bloody Draco Malfoy from the deep waters.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 111





	Mystery of Love

Harry was running out of time. He had been swimming for a good while and still he was no closer to finding what he was looking for. He had evaded the cruel, evil things inside the lake with more or less ease but he had to hurry up if he wanted to win.

And wanting to win he did. He wanted to show everyone that he wasn’t this weak fourteen year old child that couldn’t handle a challenge.

But would you deserve it? He asked himself. Probably not, if it hadn’t been for Dobby he would have never made it this far, if it hadn’t been for Dobby he would still be sitting in the Library with Ron, sleeping through the second task, a failure, a disappointment.

A wave of guilt hit him like the cold water of the lake but he decided to push the feeling away and himself further into the darkness beneath him.

We've taken what you'll sorely miss

What could they have taken? His broomstick maybe? He would sorely miss his broomstick and he couldn’t risk losing it. He pushed further into the black water.

A few minutes passed by without a sound until he heard it, faintly and quietly. Someone was singing.

His heart sped up, he was close.

His first thought when he saw one of the merepeople was, wow those are ugly. They looked peculiar, not at all like the muggle mermaid legends.

But their song was beautiful.

He wanted to ask them where he had to go, but only bubbles came out of his mouth. They seemed to understand though because the freed a way for him to swim through. Reluctantly Harry followed the path layed out in front of him, dozens of eyes watching him swim by with strong strokes.

That’s when he saw them, four dark figures in the middle of the water, floating breathlessly. Harry furrowed his brows and swam closer so he could see who it was.

There was a girl he had never seen but he was sure it would be Fleurs sister, they had the same face, the same silver hair. The second girl was Cho Chang he realized with a pang, her eyes were closed, her hair even more black than normally. Then there was Hermione, hair strangely silky in the water.

And to his immense surprise there was Malfoy.

Harry felt the heat of anger rise in his stomach as he looked at Malfoy. But the longer he looked the calmer Harry felt, Malfoy looked weirdly innocent, with his closed eyes, no trace of the usual sneer on his relaxed face, he looked vulnerable.

Krum must have talked to Malfoy more than Harry had realized or Malfoy wouldn’t be in the lake now. Harry rolled his eyes and realized the merepeople were still staring at him intently.  
He turned towards the other three figures and pondered who he should pick. Hermione or Cho? Both he would miss very much, Cho because she was oh so pretty and Hermione because she was one of his best friends.

He risked a look at his watch, only a couple of minutes left now, he had to decide quickly.

He searched the bottom of the lake for a particularly sharp looking stone and made his way over to Cho.

He had just begun slicing at her ropes when there was movement in the corner of his eye. Cedric, looking puzzled.

He signed at Cho, than back at his own chest. Harry frowned. Cedric signed again, took out his wand and sliced through Chos ropes with ease, Harry just stood there and watched he two of them vanish into the darkness.

Alrighty then, Hermione it was. He swam over to her and began slicing at her ropes, when the half man, half shark figured Krum appeared. Harry nodded at him and continued his pursuit, but Krum was faster and had Hermione by his side in an instant. He was about to swim away with her when Harry, in utter confusion, yelled out to him: “No you got the wrong one”, but only bubbles escaped his mouth, he didn’t care: “Malfoys over there”.

Krum didn’t even hesitate and disappeared.

Harry stared after him in disbelief. What was going on here?

He looked at the girl again and wondered if he had ever met her before. He wrecked his brain searching for a memory, for something recognisable that would make this little girl the treasure they had stolen from him, but he came up empty.

Slowly, very slowly he turned his head towards the blond figure to his right. Malfoy.

How could this be?

He wouldn’t miss Malfoy. Not at all. He couldn’t count the times he had wished this bastard to disappear and now there was his chance.

But past an hour - the prospect's black Too late, it's gone, it won't come back

  
Oh how wonderful that sounded. No more Malfoy. No more sneering, no more bullying, now more laughing behind his back. No more worries. Because Harry was always worried when it came to Malfoy and it made his stomach ache and his head pound.

He looked at his watch again. Two minutes. He rolled his eyes.

He couldn’t just let the git die, could he now. Harry sighed deeply, twice and got to work.

  
Harry heard the whispers as soon as his head penetrated the water surface. Some, delirious watchers were cheering and applauding, but most of the onlookers just stared at Harry in disbelief. Harry blushed with anger, well he couldn’t just leave him now, could he?

It was cold, so cold that he couldn’t feel his fingers, or that might have been the lack of oxygen, who knew.

A giant towel was wrapped around his body as he made his way through the crowd and sat down at the farthest corner from everyone.

He was last. Dead last, he had not completed the challenge in the time that was allowed.

Fleur came to him and kissed him twice on each cheek, she was saying something, thanking him, but he barely heard her.

He felt it more than he saw it, the stare.

Harry looked around and his gaze caught on wide grey eyes from the other side of the platform. Malfoy was dripping wet, a large, grey towel wrapped around his body, blond curls plastered against his forehead and his cheeks were bright pink.

Harry swallowed. He would never live this down.

“Harry are you alright?”, Ron almost yelled at him.

“I’m fine”, Harry shivered.

“Malfoy, Harry? Really?”, Ron looked completely shell shocked. “I don’t know either, Ron”, Harry sighed.

“Oh I know exactly”, Ron stumbled through his words: “You’re obsessed with that Dude, Harry, it needs to stop”.

Harry didn’t say anything, they had had that discussion far too often already.

Hermione came over and saved him, talking a mile a minute, not noticing Krum at all who was desperately trying to gain her attention.

And then they were gone and it was quiet, the judges were deliberating their scores and Harry was miserable.

And Malfoy was still staring at him.

Harry tried to look away, but he couldn’t. That would have made him seem weak and insecure and unsure of his actions, he didn’t want to give Malfoy any ammunition for his insults.  
That’s when Malfoy started to walk over towards Harry. Harry swallowed again, dryly.

“Potter”, Malfoy said hoarsely and sat down next to Harry. 

“Malfoy”, Harry said and nodded.

There was silence. Harry felt Malfoy shivering beside him. Well let him be cold the stupid git, he deserved it.

“I saved your life, you know?”, Harry said finally.

Draco cackled: “As if”, he said: “Dumbledore wouldn’t just let us die down there, you ought to know that”.

Harry blushed. No, of course not. Dumbledore would never do that.

“It still counts though”, Malfoy said then, blushing profusely: “I owe you one”.

At that Harry looked at him the first time since he had sat down and something was weird. Was Malfoy smiling? Harry had never seen him smile before.

“Are you okay?”, he blurted out immediately.

Malfoys eyes widened again, then he looked down on his hands and didn’t say anything.

Malfoy. Speechless. Something was very wrong here.

“Just tell me what you want”, Malfoy whispered barely audible. “What?”, Harry asked.

“A favour. Anything. So we’re even”, Malfoy said, still looking down.

Harry blinked a couple of times. Did he mean that? Anything?

Harry blushed and he didn’t even know why.

“You could give me a blowjob”, Harry said and immediately regretted it.

Malfoy chocked on his own tongue, coughing profusely, face getting redder and redder.

“I’m just joking, relax”, he paddled back.

He looked at Malfoy then. His hair was in disarray, flying around his forehead in white curls, his cheeks were flushed, lips a little wet still and his robe hat slipped a bit so he could see Malfoys right collarbone poking through. Harry blushed again.

Malfoy had gotten a hold of himself again and looked at Harry through long lashes.

“Okay, let’s set a few ground rules”, he said but weirdly he was smiling again: “No Blowjobs, nothing illegal and nothing too expensive”.

“I thought illegal would be exactly up your alley”, Harry said and felt his lips twitching. Stupid lips.

“Not for you it’s not”, Malfoy shrugged.

“Alright”, Harry nodded, feeling a little pang in his chest: “Stop bullying me then”, he said deliberately.

Malfoy looked absolutely shocked: “Just like that?”.

“Yes”.

“What am I supposed to do instead?”, Malfoy asked.

“You could try for a ‘Good morning’ now and again, or a nice ‘How are you?’”, Harry grinned.

“That’s too much, Potter, my life isn’t worth that much”.

The laughter came out before Harry could do anything about it. He clapped his hand over his mouth but it was already out and he could feel Malfoy staring at him in disbelief.

“What?”, Harry asked angrily.

“Nothing”, Malfoy said and Harry could hear the smile in his voice. “So do we have a deal?”, Harry asked tensely.

There was a long stretch of silence.

“We have a deal”, Malfoy said finally.

  
Malfoy held up his end of the bargain like a champion. It was awkward in the beginning, Malfoy would go out of his way to avoid Harry as not to have to be nice to him and Harry got more and more annoyed by that. He checked the Marauders Map even more often than before, looking what Malfoy was doing.

But there were instances where Malfoy just couldn’t avoid him. The classes they had together for example.

And at the beginning or end of those classes Harry would find a note on his table or a note would collide with the back of his head and it would read: Have a nice day.

Or: _I hope you slept well._

Or: _That joke in Potions last time was pretty funny._

Or: _Your handshake is nicely firm._

Or other such notions. 

And it satisfied Harry immensely. He never wrote back, what should he have written?  
But he did keep the notes in the darkest corner of his trunk.

When Harry sat down this time there was already a piece of paper in front of him. Harry smiled a little and picked the note up, unfolding it carefully. He read it five times.

_Want to go on a date?_

Harry felt the anger rise as Snape wrote something down on the blackboard. He took out his quill. And furiously began to write.

**You’re not supposed to make fun of me, stop it!**

He folded the piece of paper and sent it on his way to the front of the class with a swift blow from his lips. It hit Malfoy on the top of his head.

Malfoy unfolded the piece of paper immediately and Harry couldn’t see his face from here but he could have sworn the gits shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.  
Harry tried to concentrate on Snape when the note landed back on his table.

  
_Is that a no?_

Harry rolled his eyes.

  
**Of course it’s a no, why would I go on a date with you?**

  
He sent it back.

  
_I don’t know, I’m okay when I try, promise._

  
**Are you serious right now?**

  
_Dead serious._

  
**Why would you want to go on a date with ME?**

  
_You’re also okay when you try._

  
**I’m being serious.**

  
_You have a cute smile even though you never smile at me. And your ass is to die for. Honestly I just want you to smile at me once._

  
Harry blushed furiously behind his glasses. Was Malfoy for real? Did he...did he fancy Harry? No that couldn’t be it. There had to be a devious plan behind it.

He saw Malfoy raise his hand in the front of the class.

  
“Yes, Mr. Malfoy”, Snape said kindly.

  
Malfoy stood up and turned around: “So what is it Potter? Are we on?”.

  
Harry swallowed. Why would he do this in front of the whole class? Harry wanted to hide behind his cauldron.

  
Malfoy rolled his eyes: “Meet me on the astronomy tower tonight at six”.

“Will that be it, Mr. Malfoy?”, Snape asked, still mildly.

  
“Yes, thank you Sir”.

\---

  
It was five to six and Harry was fidgeting. He was sitting in the common room with Ron and Hermione and they were talking, he just didn’t know what they were talking about.

  
“Harry”, Hermione yelled, apparently for the second time.

  
“Huh?”, Harry looked up at her.

  
“Just go”, she said and rolled her eyes: “We all know you want to”.

  
“It could be a horrible trick”, Ron said, doubtfully: “A trap”.

  
“A trap he set up in front of the whole class and a teacher?”, Hermione raised one eyebrow: “I don’t think so”.

  
“What do you think, then?”, Harry asked her.

  
“I think all that sexual tension between you two has finally found an outlet”, she grinned.

  
“What in the world are you talking about?”, Harry asked.

  
“Oh come on, Harry”, Hermione sighed: “It’s so obvious that the two of you are attracted to each other, all the fighting, all the duels, all the bickering. You just need to...smash”.

  
Harry coughed loudly.

  
“Don’t tell me you never thought of Malfoy that way”, she said, kindly.

  
Harry hesitated. What if he had? That didn’t mean anything, he was a horny teenager, he used everything to get himself going.

  
“See?”, Hermione asked when Harry didn’t answer.

  
“Alright I’m going”, Harry said sternly: “But I’m taking the invisibility coat”.

  
Hermione rolled her eyes: “Do what you must”, she said and turned back towards Ron to, presumably resume their conversation.

  
\--

  
It was freezing on top of the Astronomy Tower. Harry was glad he had taken his big coat under the invisibility cloak.

Malfoy was already there. He was sitting on a bench, a basket full of food next to him and chewing nervously on his bottom lip. He had conjured a big clock in front of him and he was staring at it intently. He was kneeding his palms with his fingers.

  
Harry looked around for Crabbe or Goyle hiding in one of the corners, but all he found were little fairy lights Malfoy must have conjured flying through the black sky.  
Harry didn’t dare to make himself known, too afraid of an ambush, so he just stayed where he was, looking at Malfoy and how his face would fall with every minute that passed.

  
At 6:25 Malfoy stood up and gathered his belongings, he was shaking now. He took the basket and made the clock disappear with a swish of his wand.  
He was already touching the doorknob when it burst out of Harry.

  
“Wait”, he said a little too loudly and Malfoy flinched.

  
Malfoy turned around with wide eyes and searched the platform for the source of the voice.

  
Harry sighed and closed his eyes, then he took the cloak off. “Potter”, Malfoy breathed: “You came”.

  
“Of course I came”, Harry whispered, not looking at Malfoy who was still standing by the door.

  
“You’re late”, Malfoy said then and walked over towards him. “I’ve been here for a while”, Harry admitted.

  
Malfoys eyebrow raised on his forehead: “And what were you doing? Just watching me?”.

  
Harry swallowed nervously: “I was looking out for a trap”. Malfoy frowned: “I see”, he said.

  
It was quiet between them then. They were just standing there not looking at each other. Harry could feel his cold hands becoming sweaty.

  
“You hungry?”, Malfoy asked into the silence. “Sure”, Harry shrugged.

“Alright”, Malfoy said and sat down on the bench again, putting the basket beside him. Harry hesitated a little but then he sat down beside him, far enough away so they wouldn’t accidentally touch.

  
“What do you have?”, Harry asked and looked at the basket.

  
Malfoy grinned at that: “I have a lot, the Houseelves were quite generous”, he began rummaging through the basket: “”I have Baguette and goats cheese and Basil and Olives and ham., I have Avocados and cherries and croissants and chocolate truffles. What do you fancy?”.

  
“I’ll take some Olives, thank you”, Harry said.

  
Malfoy nodded and took out a bowl from the inside of the basket: “Some red wine with that?”.

  
Harry laughed: “I didn’t know you could get alcohol from the kitchens”.

  
“When I told Dobby what it was for he was most willing”, Malfoy winked and grinned.

  
Harry blushed: “So Dobby and you get along now?”.

  
Draco frowned: “We always have, he was my favorite when he still worked for us”.

  
“He didn’t speak too fondly of your family”, Harry said and put an Olive between his lips.

  
“My father gave him a hard time”, Malfoy shrugged.

  
Harry nodded. They were silent again. Harry took a sip of wine and felt the warmth spread through his belly.

  
“I told him about you though”, Draco said and Harry could see the blush spread over his cheeks.

  
“He had heard only great things about me though”, Harry said, bewildered. “Yes”, Draco said simply and now it was Harrys turn to blush.

  
They were silent then, watching the fairy lights dance around the dark sky. It was magical, the magic was buzzing in the air and made Harrys insides warm up, his fingers tingle and the wine made his brain twirl.

  
Harry looked to his side, Malfoy was sitting there, slowly chewing on the Baguette he had brought, the lights were dancing over his pale face, glistening in his grey eyes his long lashes caressing his cheeks.

“You’re very beautiful”, it burst out of Harry before he could stop it. He bit his tongue painfully but it was already too late. Malfoy was looking at him with wide eyes, little crumbs in the corner of his mouth.

  
“You’re not too bad yourself”, Malfoy whispered still staring into Harrys eyes with wild intensity. Harry felt his stomach twist and turn.

  
Before he could think about it he reached out and, with his right thumb, brushed away the crumbs in the corner of Malfoys mouth.

  
Malfoys lips parted slightly at the touch, but he did not flinch or shy away, his eyes fluttered shut for a second as Harrys fingers brushed over his lips.

  
Harrys chest ached from longing to touch Malfoy more, he wanted to put his whole hand through the curly hair, he wanted to trace the veins on his hands, wanted to breath him in.

  
“I’m glad we’re getting along now”, Harry said and tried to turn away from Malfoys face, but couldn’t.

  
Malfoy was looking at him intently: “Yes, me too”.

  
They were staring at each other, not blinking.

  
“Scared, Potter?”, Malfoy asked silently. He leaned in closer. “Terrified”, Harry whispered and leaned in closer too.

  
Malfoys lips were warm and soft. He smelled like cool water and moss and lime. Harry couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, the tingling in his whole body was all consuming, he closed his eyes.  
It was careful at first, cautious as not to startle each other. But then the kiss deepened, lips parting, tongues stealing their way into the others mouth. Malfoy tasted so good, like the cherries he had eaten just now and like freedom and longing.

  
Harry felt Malfoys firm hand at his jaw, cupping his face and he got the courage to put his hand through Malfoys blond curls, he could feel Malfoys lips smiling against his own and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

  
Why hadn’t they done this years ago? This was so good, this was how it must feel to be completely safe and secure. Harry had never thought he would feel that way with Malfoy, never. But here he was and he only wanted more.

  
After what felt like only a second and an eternity at the same time they parted and looked at each other. Harrys lips were tingling.

“That was..”, Malfoy didn’t continue his sentence.

  
“Yeah”, Harry breathed.

  
“We should do that again”, Malfoy said, shaking his head: “Like all the time”.

  
Harry laughed: “I think I could handle that, Malfoy”.

  
Malfoy smiled at him: “I guess it’s about time you call me Draco”.

  
Harry blushed profusely, somehow that seemed like a really intimate thing.

  
“Alright”, he hesitated: “Draco”.

  
“Thank you, Harry”, Draco said: “Harry”, he was savoring the word: “I like it”.

  
“Me too”, Harry smiled at Malf- Draco.

  
They were silent for a minute, breathing heavily, looking at each other in bewilderment.

  
“So where do we go from here?”, Draco asked cautiously.

  
Harry looked down at his fingers: “I don’t know”, he said then: “What do you think?”.

  
“I think I want to kiss you again”, Draco said, frowning: “I want to kiss you in front of everyone, the whole school, my father, my mother, everybody”.

  
Harry breathed in shakily: “I would like that”, he said to his hands.

  
It took all his courage but he reached out one hand and intertwined his fingers with Draco’s. Draco smiled.

  
“So does that mean we’re like...together?”, Draco asked, barely hiding his smile.

  
“I think so, yes”, Harry said and finally looked up to meet Draco’s eyes: “Scared, Malfoy?”, he asked with a grin.

  
“Not even a little”, Draco said and kissed him.


End file.
